Free Republic

KEY WEST -- The mock Conch Republic on Friday ``annexed'' an abandoned bridge in the Florida Keys that the federal government ruled was not U.S. territory when 15 Cubans landed there last week. Members of the republic, established in 1982 by disgruntled Florida Keys residents as a tongue-in-cheek protest over U.S. Border Patrol checkpoints, planted flags along the section of the bridge where the Cubans landed and said they hoped to use it for affordable housing. Self-appointed Republic of Conch Secretary General Peter Anderson said he planned to offer 50-foot sections of the structure to those who want to build...

City says no to a war with Iraq BY GINNY HALLER keysnews.com KEY WEST - The city commission has said no to a first strike military action by the United States against Iraq. The moment after City Commissioner Carmen Turner introduced a resolution that asked for a multilateral diplomatic approach to Iraq, the audience in Old City Hall stood and cheered. "I have a 23-year-old son," said Mayor Jimmy Weekley. "My greatest fear is to lose my son over a conflict that I believe to be about oil." Speaker after speaker uttered words of peace and wishes for the city...

KEY WEST -- They are touted as being tongue-in-cheek but look authentic: navy blue and red ``passports'' embossed with a ``Conch Republic'' crest -- complete with photo, blank official-looking pages for immigration stamps, personal identification information and expiration dates. Now federal investigators are trying to find out whether Mohamed Atta, one of the men believed to be a key player in last month's terrorist attacks against the United States, added one of these novelties to his collection of travel documents. After discovering that a man named Mohamed Atta applied for and likely received one of the passports in September 2000, ...